Sight level



Dec. 12, 1933. L ss ET AL 1,939,167

SIGHT LEVEL Filed July 10. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I|| III I|| |||I||'III IIIIIIIII'II IIIIIIII'IIIIllll lllllll J l I i I r n I! Fly-.2

16 7 i a t v i 9 E 5 I 2 2 7 i l a a Fly-4 ig 5 INVENTORS.

Lloyd A. Harliness Samuel L Neely By W ATTORNEY.

1933- A. HARKNESS Er AL 1,939,167

SIGHT LEVEL Filed July 10, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS.

Lloyd A Harhness Samuel L Neely B WATTORNEX Patented Dec. 12, 1933 vUNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE j sion'r LEVEL Lloyd A. Harkness and SamuelL. Neely, Kansas City, Kans.

Application July 10, 1930. Serial No. 466,908

2 Claims. (01. 33-73) V particularly to an improved, dependableand'insame position as that of Fig. 2 expensive combination instrumentand tool that Fig. is an enlarged view of the inner end of is employedas a surveyors transit, a sight level one of the sight blocks as shownin Fig. 3.

5 for leveling foundations and the like, a plumbing Fig. 6 is a sideview of Fig. 5 and on the same 60I instrument, a square, and an angleindicator for scale. testing the pitch of roofs, for indicating theFigs. 7, 8, 9 and are views on the same scale angle of rafters incalculating the length thereof, as that of Fig. 2, illustrating certainoperative and for laying out the ridge angle the plate step positions ofthe tool and instrument.

The invention relates to sight levels and more- Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryenlarged view in the 10 and the eve angle of rafters'so they can. be ac-The stock 1, is preferably of wood, planed and 651 curately out beforeplacing in the roof structure. dressed straight and true to apractically perfect There are many purposes for which a dependrightangled shape as shown, the ends 2 and 3 able and inexpensive'sight levelor transit may be squared to a right angle to all the sides, the grooveemployed to great advantage, whenand where it 4 cut straight and truefrom end to end of the 5' would'not be financially or otherwiseconvenient stock, and has the duplicate disk shaped recesses '7 toemploy a surveyor or procure an expensive sur- 5 bored therein toreceive he dial plates 6 and veyors transit, such as running lines forfences, accompanying parts. p for planting trees, locating buildings andthe like The dial plates 6 are duplicate and each prowhere absoluteaccuracy is not required, but apvided with the annular flange 7, theconically proximate accuracy is very desirable. shaped bearing 8, theslots, 9 and are secured to 7 Laying out'rafters for the ridge angle,the plate the' stock 1, by the ordinary Wood screws 10, the step and theeve angle aredifiicult operationswith slots allowing the dial plates tobe adjusted acthe tools and instruments practically attainable.curately, so that when the hand 11 registers with A tool and instrumentthat is practically dethe line 12 the base 13 of the stock 1 is level,and pendable and inexpensive, that can be employed when the handregisters with the line 14 the base for a number of purposes is verydesirable to the 13 of the'stock is plumb. average workman as the morefunctions a tool The lines 12 and 14 are preferably impressed in willserve the less number of tools will be rethe dial plate 6, as are alsothe rafter angle indiquired, which not only saves the expense of aeating lines l5, l6 and 17 and the numerals two 30- greater investmentin tools, but also enables the three and four as shown. The line 15accompanymechanic to produce more work in a given time, ing numerals twoindicate the position of the as the time required to secure a differenttool for hands 11 when the base 13 of the stock 1 is at each job isexpended on the work to be performed. the correct angle to cut a rafterfor a one half The present invention has provided an impit h r o p v d hrafter as n p p r y 35 proved, impl and m t combination t and leveled,the line 16 andnumerals three are for instrument that is employed as alevel, a sight three eighths pitch, and the line 17 and numerals level,as a transit for ordinary running 'of lines, for one quarter pltchas asquare, for findingv the pitch of roofs, for w h the annular flange 7 ofdlal platesfs calculating and measuring the length of rafters, fimngsnugly f pressed mto posltlqn so that? It 40 and as a gauge for markingthe ridge angle and remains rigidly is the hoop shaped ring 18 with theintegrally formed arm 19 provided with the the plate step and eve angleof rafters.

With these and other objects in view the inf ffig g g g i$g ffg aggangle indicating vention consists in the features of constructionnumerals two three and four are Shown only in 4.5" combma'non andan'angemeets of part? herem' the enlarged view 4 to avoid illustratingminor after set forth and more particularly pointed out V details in thesmaller views. 1n the appended claims, the drawings illustrating Thehaft 21 i conically shamed at both ends a proven form of the invention.

g and mounted to turn freely in the bearings 8 and dl'awmgsi I 20, andhas rigidly mounted thereon the hand 11 50- & D a V W 0 the Improved13001 and which is pointed at both ends thereof 22 and 23 nstrum nt asoemployed in leveling, and and provided with the weight 24 so that theend for running lineS- 22 always points upwardly and the end 23 pointsFig. 2 is a side view in the same position. downwardly.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line Resting against the flange7 of the dial plates 55 3-3 of Fig. 2. 6 and the hoop shaped ring 18 isthe transparent 2 cover plate 25 preferably of glass, which is retainedin fixed position by the radially disposed integral flange 26 of thehoop shaped ring 27 fitting snugly around the annular flange 7 andpressed into position as shown in Fig. 3.

The sight blocks 28 are duplicate and the outer end portions thereof 29are formed to just fill snugly the groove 4, while the inner endportions 30 of the blocks fill the groove 4 to about one half the depthof the groove and are provided with the small grooves 31. The outer endportions of the blocks 29 are provided with the sight holes 32 and theblocks are rigidly mountedin the groove 4 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The sight holes 32 are approximately in the center of the groove 4vertically and transversely and the groove forms a guide to assist theeye of the user in finding the object desired to sight through the holes32. The-small grooves 30 also assist in aligning the stock 1 and theholes 32 are merely employed as final sights to prove when the objectsare accurately positioned.

The grooves 4 and 31 are employed to'sight the usual stakes and poleswhile placing them in alignment, and the holes 32 to prove 'the finalsetting thereof.

In Fig. 'I the stock 1 is shown in plumb position with the ends 22 and23 of the hand 11 pointing to the line 12, while inFig. 8 the stock 1 isin position to mark a rafter for a one quarter pitch roof, Fig. 9indicates the cutting angle of a rafter for a three eighths pitch roofand Fig. 10 the angle of the rafter for a one half pitch roof.

The stock 1 may be employed as a square, and the rule 33 mounted on theupper side of the stock enables it to be employed as a rule, which isusually more convenient than securing a separate rule.

The sight level is of particularimportanceas a surveyors transit for thelaying out of lines, as a level, and as an accurate and rapid instrumentfor finding and laying out the ridge angle, the step of the lengththereof angle and the eve angle of rafters so they can. be cutaccurately, and may be advantageously employed as a square and as a rulefor measuring and squaring building material, measuring distancesbetween posts and trees and the like.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent,

1. In a combination sight level, a stock provided with a longitudinallydisposed outwardly opening groove reaching from end to end of the stock,and a block in each end of said groove, each of said blocks channelshaped for a portion beginning at the facing ends of said blocks andforming a small groove extending toward the outer ends of said stock,the remainder of the length of said blocks rising above said channelshaped portions of said blocks and each blockrprovided with a hole theaxis of which is approximately in alignment with the axis of theoutwardly facing edges of said channel shapes, said channel shapes beingin alignment with said first mentioned groove and said holes to guidethe sight from the hole in the block nearest to the eye to the hole inthe block farthest from the eye.

2. In a combination sight level, a stock provided with an elongatedgroove opening outwardly and reaching from near one end of the stock tonear the remaining end thereof, said groove terminating and opening ateach end thereof into a smaller groove extending toward the adjacent endof the stock, there being at each end of the slot a small hole openingto the outer end of the stock, said small grooves and said small holesdisposed in alignment so that the small groove farthest from the eyewill assist the eye in locating the hole in the farthest end of thestock from the eye when sighting through the hole nearest to the eye.

LLOYD A. HARKNESS. SAMUEL L. NEELY.

